Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>]

1. Hebrew uses the "generic theophoric" name EL, from the root L, 'up, high, elevate'.

2. It is possible that the IYR (plural: IYRIYN) of Daniel 4:14(17) refers to an exalted being.

3. The "theophoric" R (for OR, 'light'?) appears also in A$ER and ISRAEL. The last name is, methinks, the "theophoric" compound S+R+L.

4. Earlier biblical names are unique and need not be "attested historically". It is only today, that every second xeider boy is called Moishik, if not Mendl.

5. The TRAPIYM that LABAN kept at home had possibly all "theophoric", or positive, names such as AB, AX, AG, A$, AL, AR, AD, AZ, AM, AN, from which new names were made by combinations, namely DAN = AD+AN, A$ER = A$+ER, GAD = GA+AD, etc.

6. You have the right to believe that Abraham is an editorial creation, with an official editorial etymology. 

7. I have the right to believe that ABRAHAM is related to the Indian Brahmin, with an added initial A.

Isaac Fried, Boston University 

On Mar 10, 2013, at 9:55 PM, jimstinehart AT aol.com wrote:

Isaac Fried:

 

I hope your post means that you agree with my central assertion.   I-F  the resh/R in the middle of the name "Abraham" is a generic theophoric, then the name )B R HM is self-explanatory, being  e-x-a-c-t-l-y  what Genesis 17: 5 says it means.

 

The frequent scholarly claim that the Biblical author of Genesis 17: 5 allegedly didn't know what the name "Abraham" means should be rejected outright.  In fact, the Biblical author of Genesis 17: 5  c-r-e-a-t-e-d  the name "Abraham".  Such name is never attested historically, even though his birth name Abram, and slight variations thereon, are historically attested all over the place.

 

Jim Stinehart

Evanston, Illinois

-----Original Message-----
From: Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>
To: jimstinehart <jimstinehart AT aol.com>
Cc: Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sun, Mar 10, 2013 8:47 pm
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] The Name Abraham

You are right, the only question being is what is "theophoric". It is reasonable to assume that R is thephoric, 

as well as H, which is but mild X, as in היה HAYAH versus חיה XAYAH, and which appears 

in the name revealed (and explained) to Moses in the desert. In other words, every consonant 

(a uniliteral root) is a theophoric name for this or that theos residing in the vast pantheon of the human mind.  

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Mar 10, 2013, at 1:54 PM, jimstinehart AT aol.com wrote:

Genesis 17: 5 is self-explanatory as to the meaning of )B R HM, once one realizes that the interior resh/R there is used as a generic theophoric.